Hearts and Flowers
by Bether6074
Summary: Trip and Malcolm make a bet about who will get a date first for movie night.


**Title:** Hearts and Flowers

**By: **Bether6074

**Rating: **PG, for a few words

**Genre: **Light-hearted Fluff and Romance

**Disclaimer: **Paramount owns Enterprise. No infringement intended.

**Summary: **This story is set during Season Two. Trip and Malcolm make a bet and try to get dates for movie night.

**A/N: **This is just a little piece of light-hearted fluff. I wanted to try something a bit different and this was what I came up with. It seemed appropriate for the time of year. A big thanks, as always, to my beta for helping me with the story.

Lieutenant Malcolm Reed stopped talking in mid-sentence, his attention suddenly diverted to the dark-haired beauty that approached from down the hall. Ensign Hoshi Sato moved gracefully along the corridor at an even pace, looking even more remarkable to him than usual. Malcolm felt his heart flutter momentarily as Hoshi drew closer. She smiled cordially at the two Starfleet officers on her way by, then ambled down the path, and headed in the opposite direction. Malcolm turned his head to watch her leave, his mouth hanging open ever-so-slightly.

"Malcolm!" Commander Trip Tucker said in a stage whisper, attempting to jar his friend out of the trance that had befallen him. "Quit starin', will ya?" Malcolm didn't flinch, his eyes still focused on the slim figure down the hall. "For pete's sake, Malcolm, why don't ya just ask the girl out?"

Malcolm turned to face Trip, looking stern. "Oh, and you're one to talk, Commander. I haven't seen _you_ make any overtures toward a certain Vulcan that you're obviously attracted to."

"What! You mean T'Pol?" Trip stared back at him, looking aghast. "What the hell are ya talkin' about? I am NOT _attracted _to T'Pol."

Malcolm raised a brow and gazed at Trip knowingly. The engineer sighed, relenting, and rolled his eyes in apparent defeat. "What's your point?" Trip questioned softly, his face suddenly bright red.

Lieutenant Reed felt abruptly powerful, having discovered a weakness of Trip's that simply demanded more exploration. He smirked, his face brightening. "I believe that you're…blushing, Commander. Perhaps…maybe…I'm onto something here."

"Just quit it Malcolm! T'Pol just…"

"…has an awfully nice bum," Malcolm finished, feeling quite proud of his ability to get under his friend's skin. The two rounded the corner of the hall and stopped just in front of Trip's quarters. "I don't imagine it would be a simple matter to romance an alien…even for you… and especially with someone as stubborn as Subcommander T'Pol."

"She's a Vulcan, Malcolm. She _can't_ be stubborn."

"Oh, like hell she can't! I bet you couldn't even get her to go to movie night with you."

"Movie night? You mean…like a date?"

"That's _precisely_ what I mean, Commander…a date."

Trip stared back at Malcolm, looking confident. "All right, Malcolm. I'll make you a wager. I bet that I can get T'Pol to come to movie night with me before you can get Hoshi to go with you. And…since they're always asking for suggestions for what film to play… whoever wins the bet…chooses the movie."

Malcolm took a step toward Trip, staring him down, his chest thrust out with masculine pride. "Very well, Commander. I accept your challenge." He extended a hand toward the blonde engineer. Trip looked down and clasped Malcolm's fingers, shaking his hand in acceptance.

"May the best man win."

"Indeed," Malcolm answered, sizing up his competitor with a domineering gaze. "Yes…the best man…"

Subcommander T'Pol was awakened by a most unusual odor. The strong fragrance seemed to permeate the air in her quarters quite thoroughly, leaving the previous scent from last night's meditation candles merely a distant memory. This was certainly something she'd smelled before…from where she couldn't recall…but the aroma was distinctively familiar and even… sweet. Perhaps it was some type of perfume. During her time aboard the starship, the Vulcan had observed human females applying the special liquid to their skin. It seemed to her a rather curious way to attract males.

T'Pol got up out of bed and slipped on her robe. Her highly acute olfactory senses led her directly to the entrance of her quarters. She stared down at the floor at the precise location where the aroma seemed to be emanating. Peculiar. There was nothing there. She reached her hand up and pressed the button to open the door.

T'Pol raised a brow inquisitively as her eyes fixed upon an object on the hallway floor. She leaned down and picked up the long-stemmed flower, carefully avoiding its numerous thorns. The Vulcan placed her hand upon the deep red petals, gently tracing the foliage with her fingers to discern its texture. The rose petals were soft and gently curved, giving the flower a delicate and… almost feminine… appearance.

The Vulcan science officer looked down the corridor's path. There were several single petals lined along the floor leading down the hall. T'Pol followed the trail of broken flowers, rather intrigued by the bizarre nature of the situation. She looked down as her feet stepped along the passage, her eyes marking each blossom remnant until there were no more. She stopped and looked up. Commander Tucker's quarters. Odd. T'Pol moved her hand up to press the buzzer and waited.

The door slid open and the commander stood in the entrance, looking as if he'd just spent ten minutes in the dryer at tumble-dry low. He rubbed his eyes and squinted at the Vulcan, as if trying to wake himself.

"T'Pol…it's the middle of the night. Is there somethin' I can do for ya?"

"Yes, Commander Tucker, there is. It appears as though someone has gone through a great deal of trouble to decorate the corridor of the ship."

Trip smiled weakly, feigning innocence. "Not sure I know what you mean, Subcommander."

T'Pol stared back at him, seeing right through his little attempt at denial.

"I awakened to discover a rose on the floor at the entrance to my quarters," she began, pausing for a moment to gauge Trip's reactions. He held her gaze and showed no signs of wavering. "I also found a… rather illogical… trail of flower petals leading from _my _door… to _yours_. Do you have any suggestions as to who might have deemed such an action appropriate? And… for that matter… why this person chose to place them in these specific locations?"

Trip burst out laughing. "What's the matter, T'Pol? Don't Vulcans _like_ flowers?"

T'Pol looked away, silently pondering the question. "Aesthetically…the blossoms are pleasing to the eyes. I am also aware of the redolence of this particular type of bloom…a rose…Am I to assume that _you _are responsible for this, Commander?"

Trip ran his tongue along his bottom lip, looking nervous. "How'd ya feel about watching a movie with me on Friday night?"

"Movie night? Do we know what film will be presented?"

"Yes or no, T'Pol."

The Vulcan extended her hand toward him, offering him the rose. "Please accept my apologies, Commander Tucker…but I believe I have other arrangements for that particular evening."

The engineer took hold of the flower, appearing somewhat exasperated. "Other arrangements? Can't ya give up meditatin' for just one night? I mean…I know that it's important and all, but, I mean…c'mon, T'Pol. It'll be fun."

Subcommander T'Pol stared back at him. "Fun? I'm Vulcan, Commander. We don't… have…fun." She turned and walked away, leaving Trip standing alone in the doorway holding the beautiful rose. He moved his finger along the stem and accidentally pierced his skin with one of its sharp thorns.

"Ow…dammit!" Trip winced and shook his hand in pain as he watched the Vulcan walk down the path and back to her quarters. "Yeah. I see what you mean. No… fun," he quipped, as if speaking to the now-absent science officer. "Guess its back to the drawing board," he whispered to himself with a heavy sigh, and then made his way back inside his room.

"Oww!" Ensign Hoshi Sato exclaimed, grabbing her jaw and dropping her sandwich back down on the table. "What the hell was that?"

With one hand still cradling her mandible, Hoshi lifted up the top portion of bread from the fallen sandwich and turned it over, staring bewilderedly at the inside of her roast beef with mustard on whole wheat.

There in the midst of the gooey yellow condiment, was a tiny white heart. Hoshi placed two fingers into the mess and carefully pulled out the piece of candy. She looked across the table at T'Pol, who appeared characteristically unfazed by the entire matter as she sipped chamomile tea from an exceedingly large white mug.

T'Pol swallowed the warm liquid seemingly without a second thought. She gazed up at the young ensign, looking curious. "Is there a problem, Ensign Sato?"

Hoshi placed the mustard-covered heart onto a nearby napkin and wiped it clean. She smiled mildly. "It's a Valentine's candy heart."

"A Valentine's candy heart? Someone placed it in your meal? Is this customary human behavior?"

"No, Subcommander…it's not _customary _at all." Hoshi turned her head away as if lost in thought. "It's strange though…I've been finding these little things everywhere lately. At my station on the bridge… in the pockets of my uniform… lining the hallway floor to my quarters and now…in my roast beef on wheat?" She shook her head in bafflement, still staring at the letters on her latest heart. They were marked in capitals that were a brightly colored red and spelled out the words…BE MINE.

"What's the meaning of all this?" she questioned.

T'Pol stopped drinking her tea for a moment and placed the cup down upon the table.

"Perhaps you have what I have heard humans refer to as a 'secret admirer'."

"A secret admirer? You really think that…No? Me?" She touched a hand to her chest and felt her face beginning to flush. The ensign grew curiously quiet for a moment, contemplating the idea. Her face began to brighten the more she thought about the possibilities.

"Hmm…wonder who it could be? Certainly not the Captain of course…or Lieutenant Reed. He's too stuffy to be interested in me. Maybe Travis? No… probably not. Oh, I know. What about Commander Tucker? He's kind of cute. Don't you think? That wavy blonde hair and those crystal blue eyes of his…can't say I'd mind if…"

"Ensign," the Vulcan interrupted curtly, "that scenario is highly illogical. Just last evening the commander requested _my _presence with him at this week's movie presentation."

"He asked you out?"

"In a manner of speaking."

Hoshi smiled teasingly. "And…"

"And what?"

"And what did you tell him?"

T'Pol gazed across the mess hall and fixed her eyes on the commander sitting at a distant table. The Vulcan watched as Trip devoured what…if Hoshi had counted correctly over the past fifteen minutes…was his _third_ piece of pecan pie.

"I told him that I was already otherwise occupied on Friday evening and that I would not be able to attend." T'Pol's eyes remained focused on Commander Tucker.

"Oh," Hoshi answered, in a deflated tone. "That's a shame. I bet you two would've made a cute couple."

T'Pol raised a brow at the ensign and continued to sip her tea. It was obvious that the Vulcan hadn't even considered the possibility that she and Commander Tucker might be perceived as "cute" together.

"Looks like somebody's watching you, Commander," Malcolm informed an unsuspecting Trip, just as the chief engineer was about to sink his teeth into yet another piece of chef's famous pecan pie. Trip shrugged his shoulders and looked up. He had his sights set on dessert at the moment. The engineer smiled brightly, with anticipation, and lifted the pie-filled fork up to his mouth.

"Mmmm…" Trip closed his eyes, concentrating all of his senses on the luscious dessert… savoring it…nearly…_worshipping_ it… as it slowly melted in his mouth. He swallowed and opened his eyes, gazing back over at Malcolm.

"There's nothing like a little pecan pie to soothe a man's troubles," Trip whispered contentedly.

"Troubles, eh?" Malcolm questioned, as if mocking him. "What's the matter, Trip? Having some difficulty lining up a date for Friday night? Is a certain someone…who shall remain nameless, of course… not so keen on your good old southern charm?"

Trip poked his utensil into what was left of his dessert and mumbled something under his breath.

Malcolm put a hand to his ear. "I'm sorry, Commander Tucker…but you're going to have to speak up a bit. What was that again?"

"I said…who's ever heard of a girl that doesn't like flowers? Even if that girl does happen to be Vulcan?" Trip peered over Malcolm's shoulder and met eyes with T'Pol from way across the room.

"What's the matter, old chap? Did you strike out?"

Malcolm had that unsettling, sly look on his face again. Trip put his fork down and stared into his friend's eyes with growing determination.

"It just so happens that I still have a few tricks left in my arsenal, _Lieutenient Reed_. You just watch. Come Friday night, T'Pol will be putty in my hands."

"Oh please, Commander. She's Vulcan, remember?" Malcolm rolled his eyes in apparent disbelief. "Putty in your hands…" His voice trailed off. "Unbelievable…"

Trip felt a surge of testosterone begin to rise in his blood. Male competition before him… Male competition who had just questioned his ability to attract a member of the opposite sex…

_Yep. Yes Sir. Malcolm's goin' down_…_no doubt about it_. _She WILL be putty in my hands_…_Vulcan or not._

Ensign Sato rounded the corner of the hallway and headed back to her quarters for the remainder of the night. With her work shift now completed for the day, she found her thoughts reverting back to Valentine's candy hearts and secret admirers. She'd never had a secret admirer before, but there was indeed _someone_ on the ship that was smitten with her, but too shy to approach her about it. She couldn't help but wonder exactly what this person might have planned next.

Hoshi peered down the hallway and saw T'Pol several feet ahead, walking in the same direction as she was. She quickened her pace in an effort to catch up with the Vulcan.

"Subcommander," the ensign whispered, as she drew a bit closer. T'Pol stopped in her tracks and turned around.

"Ensign, why are you whispering?"

Hoshi shrugged her shoulders. That was a good question. Why _was_ she whispering?

"I don't know…maybe it's all this talk of…" she softened her voice again "…secret admirers."

T'Pol raised a brow. Hoshi really hoped that she hadn't annoyed the Vulcan.

Annoyed the Vulcan. That wasn't possible…T'Pol couldn't get annoyed. Right?

"Is there something I can do for you, Ensign?"

"Well…yes. I was wondering if you could keep your eyes open for me, you know?"

T'Pol tipped her head quizzically. "Keep my eyes open? Well… I do intend to keep them open until I allow myself a period of rest later this evening."

Hoshi shook her head, unable to stifle an amused smile. "No, that's not what I meant." She paused for a moment, attempting to think of a better way to explain it.

"What I meant was," Hoshi began, "If you happen to see someone planting candy hearts around…to take note of who's doing it…and then tell me who it is."

"Planting candy hearts…You mean such as that?"

Hoshi looked down the hall. Right outside of her quarters, Lieutenant Malcolm Reed knelt down on the floor of the hallway. She watched as he reached into his pocket and pulled out a handful of Valentine's candy hearts. He crawled about the floor placing the hearts in a neat little trail up to Hoshi's door.

Hoshi's eyes widened. "Shhh…quick, Subcommander…don't let him see us." She reached over in …what turned out to be…a vain attempt to grab the sleeve of T'Pol's catsuit. The material was clung so tightly to the Vulcan that it was almost like a second skin.

"Ensign…exactly what _are_ you doing?"

"I'm sorry…but can we just go back to your quarters for a minute?"

"Of course, Ensign."

Hoshi and T'Pol turned around and moved quickly back down the hall, still unseen by the would-be-Romeo who was apparently too preoccupied with his precise placement of the candy hearts to even notice the two.

The Starfleet officers reached the entrance to T'Pol's quarters.

"Phew." Hoshi breathed a sigh of relief after entering the room. "That was close." She stood for a moment, lost in thought. Slowly, a smile began to emerge on her face. The smile got bigger and brighter the more she contemplated what she had just discovered. "It's Malcolm…my secret admirer is… Malcolm."

T'Pol gazed back at her, expressionless. "Apparently."

Hoshi was beside herself. "Oh wow…Malcolm Reed. Well…I have to admit…he _is_ rather distinguished and…handsome. And his English accent is very classy."

"So you find the lieutenant's behavior agreeable?"

"Well, I certainly don't find it disagreeable," Hoshi answered with an anticipatory grin.

_The buzzer chimed, startling T'Pol and interrupting her nightly meditation session. She rose up off the floor calmly, unaffected by the disturbance, and made her way over to the entrance. The door slid open, revealing Commander Charles Tucker III…or…at least that's who she _thought _it was._

_By all outward appearances, it was indeed the Commander. Same hair, same eyes, same smile…_

_His smile. Where _was _his smile?_

"_May I enter?"_

_T'Pol tipped her head slightly._ May he enter? This is most unusual.

"_Of course, Commander. Please come in."_

"_Thank you, Subcommander." Trip came through the doorway and stood before T'Pol, folding his arms behind his back._

_The Vulcan gazed at him thoughtfully. His clothing was peculiarly formal…not the typical casual shirt and pants she would've expected him to be wearing at this late hour. And his posture…the way he held himself…everything about him was…wrong. Utterly and totally wrong._

_Off. Completely off._

"_Is there something I can do for you, Commander?"_

"_Yes…actually there is," he stated flatly. "The entertainment room is having an event this coming Friday night. I was wondering if you might possibly consider attending the presentation of the featured film as my guest." He raised a brow at her, as if to pose the question._

_T'Pol couldn't stop herself from gulping. An unVulcan-like gesture most definitely, but one that she could not repress at that given moment. Who was this man? And what had he done with the _real _Trip? Had her eyes deceived her or had Trip Tucker just raised his brow at her? What in the name of Surak was going on here?_

"_Commander…are you feeling well? Perhaps it would be best if you went to sickbay and had Dr. Phlox examine you. Clearly you are ill."_

"_To the contrary, my friend…I feel quite healthy and well." He gazed down at the floor. "Mind if I join you, Subcommander?"_

_T'Pol tipped her head again, becoming increasingly bewildered by his bizarre behavior. "You wish to meditate with me? Why…may I ask?"_

"_Perhaps it would clear both our minds," Trip answered matter-of-factly. He turned his head to reveal…a rather large…POINTED…ear!_

_T'Pol's eyes widened. Her respirations increased. Her heart began to pound. It was not possible. It couldn't be possible. Vulcan? Trip was _Vulcan?

_T'Pol heard herself gasp. Vulcans didn't gasp…but humans didn't turn very suddenly into Vulcans either. To hell with it. She did more than gasp. She _screamed. _She screamed louder than a two year old human child could EVER scream. She screamed SO loud that all of the meditation candles in her quarters inexplicably went out. And it felt oddly…and illogically satisfying…_

T'Pol was awakened by the sound of paper…crinkly paper being slipped under her door. She opened her eyes and rolled over, peering at the white note on her floor. She must have needed a short period of rest because it was quite out of the ordinary for her to fall asleep so early in the evening.

_A most unusual and_…_rather disturbing dream_…_and so_…_completely illogical_…_vulcans most certainly do NOT scream._

She found the thought of Trip as a Vulcan to be rather unsettling as well. He was unquestionably very human and, as a human, he possessed human traits. That was how it was intended to be. Trip could be rather emotional and often his feelings caused him to behave illogically, but…despite this… and despite their tendency to have occasional disagreements, T'Pol was fond of him nonetheless. Or…at least…as fond as a Vulcan could be of a human…And, she had to admit to herself, she did find the human's ears to be rather… aesthetically pleasing.

T'Pol walked over to the entrance and picked up the small piece of paper from the floor. She turned and made her way back over to the bed, her eyes focusing completely on the note. It was handwritten and in verse. A poem.

I request that you accompany me;

To a movie you'll surely want to see,

For though we aren't the same species;

You might find that you really like Reese's,

Chocolate tastes good when you're at a show;

But if you stay in your quarters, you'll never know,

How much fun a date with a human can be;

I promise T'Pol, you won't want to flee,

Come and join me on Friday night;

It'll be a beautiful sight,

You and I together just feels right,

For Vulcans and humans really don't have to fight.

T'Pol stared down at the paper for some time. There was indeed something different about this particular human…something that separated him from the others. She believed she'd heard humans refer to it as "charm". Commander Charles Tucker III had charm. Indeed.

T'Pol felt compelled to go back to the door. The Vulcan sensed that perhaps there would be something more waiting for her behind it. She lifted her hand up to the button and watched the entry slide open.

Trip stood in the hallway, holding a large, stuffed teddy bear. The commander was dressed in his familiar, informal attire and was grinning from ear to ear.

_Indeed…much more appropriate_, T'Pol thought, as her mind drifted back to the disturbing image of the Trip from her dream.

"Please, come in."

T'Pol gazed at him thoughtfully for a moment and then moved her eyes down to the bear. "Am I to presume that this… animal… is for me, Commander?"

Trip glanced down at the fluffy tan creature and extended his arms out, offering it to T'Pol.

"Well, of course it's for you, Subcommander."

T'Pol took the teddy bear in her arms. Its artificial fur felt unexpectedly soft against her Vulcan skin. She stood for a moment, not moving, with the stuffed animal pressed against her chest. It was all…so illogical. A "date", as the humans called it…a date with Trip Tucker…

"Did ya get my poem, T'Pol?" Trip interrupted her reverie.

"Yes, Commander, I did in fact receive it."

"Well…what did ya think?" He paused for a moment, as if trying to read her reaction, but she remained expressionless and silent. "My offer still holds, T'Pol…if I can convince ya to change your mind. I just thought it might be nice for us to…"

"Very well, Commander."

Trip looked puzzled. "Very well…what?"

"I shall accompany you to movie night, as you wish."

"You will?" Trip gazed back at her, as if amazed that she'd accepted his invitation without the need for any further persuasion.

"I will," she replied reassuringly.

"Oh, that's great, T'Pol! You'll see…it'll be…"

"Do you hear that?" she interrupted, cocking her head to the side and straining to listen to the unusual sound.

"Hear what?"

"That dreadful noise…I believe the sound is emanating from outside my quarters." T'Pol exited her room, still holding the bear, with Trip trailing just behind her.

The Vulcan made her way down the corridor, much like a bloodhound following a scent. The pair rounded the corner and then stopped suddenly in their tracks.

Lieutenant Malcolm Reed had stationed himself outside of Ensign Sato's quarters. Hoshi was standing in her doorway, appearing rather uncomfortable, as Malcolm crooned loudly to her. He had a guitar and was singing away…or at least…he was _trying_ to sing.

T'Pol was unable to prevent herself from flinching ever-so-slightly… in a highly dignified manner of course… from every strained, off-key note sung by the lieutenant. Someone would have to put a halt to this madness. The Vulcan gazed over at Trip, who appeared as if he just might vomit, and shot him the _look._ The engineer nodded his head in approval, obviously knowing exactly what to do.

Trip took a few steps closer and extended his arm toward the guitar. He pressed his fingers to the strings and glared at Malcolm.

"Oh, come on now…it wasn't _that _bad, was it?" Malcolm asked pleadingly.

T'Pol watched as he moved his eyes from one crewmate to the next, with the same apparent and unfortunate result. She made it quite clear…even without an obvious, observable expression…that even _she_ didn't like his singing. And … more curiously… even the teddy bear she was holding seemed to be frowning at the lieutenant. Malcolm closed his eyes before her and reopened them again, as if something he saw was deceiving him.

The human stared at T'Pol, apparently shocked to see a Vulcan cuddling a big, fluffy stuffed animal. He looked from one person to the next and seemed to take note of the looks of relief on the faces of everyone still present now that he'd stopped singing. Malcolm was by all outward appearances…utterly dejected. He looked up at Hoshi and smiled weakly.

"So I take it that I'll be going stag to movie night?"

Hoshi smiled back at him. "Of course not, Lieutenant," she answered with an encouraging tone. "I'd be more than happy to come along with you. It doesn't really matter what is playing… it should be fun."

Malcolm's eyes widened as his gaze seemed to take in the soft features of her face. "Very well then," he whispered. "It's a date."

"Yes." The ensign nodded her head in approval. "A date." Hoshi turned around and went back inside her quarters, leaving the trio alone in the hallway.

"I believe it would be wise for me to return to quarters as well."

Trip turned to face T'Pol and smiled at her in reluctant agreement. "Okay, Subcommander. Guess I'll see you tomorrow night…if not before then… up on the bridge or in engineering."

She nodded her head in acknowledgement and walked back down the path toward her room.

Trip waited a moment…until T'Pol was a safe distance away…and then turned to verbally pounce on Malcolm.

"Well, Lieutenant Reed…it looks as though _I'll_ be picking out what we see for movie night tomorrow evening."

Trip circled around Malcolm… with a bit of a swagger… feeling quite proud of himself.

"Subcommander T'Pol agreed to come with me _before_ Ensign Sato agreed to go with you. So therefore…_I _win the bet."

"Oh, don't 'Lieutenant Reed' me, Trip…I can't believe that you actually expect me to sit through…what is it again that we'll be watching?"

"Star Wars."

"Oh, come now, Trip…is that _really _necessary? What makes you think that T'Pol will fancy your little space opera anyway? I'd be willing to bet that she'd much rather see something of a more complex nature…such as say perhaps...Mission Impossible."

"Mission Impossible? As in 'impossible to understand'?" Trip chuckled. "Oh, hell, Malcolm…you just want to see the main character blow stuff up."

Malcolm folded his arms, appearing defensive. "And what exactly is the problem with that, Commander Tucker?"

The engineer smiled back at him with amusement. "None at all…but did ya ever consider that maybe Hoshi wouldn't mind a nice, simple story…a nice little space opera? Who knows, Malcolm? Maybe 'Star Wars' is right up your linguist date's alley. I mean…look on the bright side," Trip added, with a cheerful smile. "At least we both have dates for movie night."

"Hmm…well you do have a point there, Commander. Dates _are_ a good thing."

"Yep, Malcolm. Dates are _always _a good thing."

"Especially with attractive linguists…"

"Or Vulcans with nice bums…"

"Indeed."

They both smiled, lost in their own contemplative…and hopeful thoughts.

Trip snuck a quick glance over at T'Pol. She sat in her seat with her typically perfect erect posture and stared ahead at the movie screen. Her face bore its usual vacant expression. Maybe Malcolm was right. Maybe Star Wars wasn't her cup of tea. But it was a little hard to tell since she almost always looked exactly the same.

The engineer gazed down at his bright purple Hawaiian shirt and silently wondered if the Subcommander found him attractive. Judging by the look on her face when he came to her quarters to escort her to the movie, it sure seemed like… Damn. He still wasn't sure. He thought that just maybe he'd seen her eyes widen ever-so-slightly. But widen-good or widen-bad? He couldn't be certain.

"Are you planning on watching any part of this movie, Commander?" Malcolm asked with an irritated tone. "Because, it still may not be too late to change it to Mission: Impossible."

Trip moved his eyes back up to look at the screen. "I'm watchin'. I'm watchin', all right?"

Dramatic orchestral music blended with battle sounds and explosions, filling the makeshift movie theatre that was the mess hall. Trip peeked over at Malcolm just in time to see him roll his eyes. "Well, that was rather weak…" the lieutenant mumbled under his breath.

Trip turned his head and gazed at T'Pol's hand. Her fingers curved gracefully over the top of the armrest. He felt a sudden urge to place his hand atop hers. Trip eyed the slender, artistic fingers for a long moment. A very…long… moment.

He felt his respirations increase as he carefully lifted his arm off the chair. His heart began to pump harder and harder, a nervous lump forming in the back of his throat. He moved his hand slowly…carefully…One false move and he knew all might be lost. Slowly…carefully…

The engineer's hand hovered just above the Vulcan's and began its very cautious and deliberate descent. Lower and closer…lower and closer…

Trip felt his fingertips grazing the Vulcan's warm skin…

"Trip…I AM your father!" Malcolm said in a deep voice, directly into the engineer's ear.

Trip jumped, startled by Malcolm's words, and jerked his hand away. It flew backwards…away from T'Pol's… and directly into his forehead with a hard smack. Trip's face grimaced in embarrassment.

T'Pol turned and met his eyes. "Is everything all right, Commander?" she questioned evenly.

Trip grasped his sore fingers and forced a smile. "Fine, T'Pol. Just fine. Enjoyin' the movie?"

"I'm Vulcan, Trip. We don't _enjoy_ movies."

Trip nodded his head, still smiling. "Right."

_Oh and isn't this just the date of a lifetime_…_Wait 'til I get my hands on Malcolm…_"

The lieutenant looked over, completely oblivious. "Something wrong, Trip?" he asked innocently.

"Nope, Malcolm. Nothing at all. Everythin' is just fine."

"Good." Malcolm smiled and turned to Hoshi. "What about you? Are _you_ enjoying yourself, Ensign?"

Trip watched as she smiled back at Malcolm. Her Colgate-white teeth were nearly blinding even in the darkened room. Hoshi settled herself down into the chair and took hold of Malcolm's hand. The lieutenant turned his head just enough to catch Trip's eye. There it was again. Malcolm's unsettling, sly look…

The commander ran his tongue along his bottom lip, staring back at the lieutenant. Things seemed to be going _just fine_ for Malcolm.

Trip looked away and found his eyes once again fixed upon his Vulcan date. His heart fluttered momentarily. T'Pol really was beautiful. Not human…but beautiful nonetheless. She was also challenging.

_This _would be challenging.

Trip smiled to himself, his eyes still admiring the Subcommander's beauty. He always loved a good challenge…and he was quite certain that romancing T'Pol would be no exception.


End file.
